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Dem, GOP pols hopeful on immigration

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were optimistic Monday that they could reach an immigration deal, just as their Senate colleagues are expected to announce later in the day.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) said that he is hopeful lawmakers can find “common sense” immigration reforms, just hours after a prominent group of Senators reached an immigration deal Sunday that would overhaul the current system.

Israel said he wants that compromise to include an earned path to citizenship for people who came here illegally, securing the country’s borders and being “tough” but also “compassionate” to people who help America’s economy.

“And as long as we can get critical mass — I don’t expect every single Republican to join with us — but as long as we can get critical mass, I think we can get this done,” he said.

He continued: “House Democrats want to find solutions, we want to find the right kind of compromise. We need somebody to negotiate with. As long as Republicans will come to the table and not reject this, ‘My way or no way,’ negotiating strategy that they [have had] up until now, maybe we can produce a compromise for the American people that make sense.”

A group of senators — including Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) — are expected to lay out their proposal on Capital Hill at a news conference Monday.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) echoed similar bipartisan sentiments, saying that lawmakers worked together to reach a deal.

”We’ve worked out most of the complicated details. And you know, the devil is in the details, well we’ve dealt with the devil now it’s an issue of just filing legislation and hopefully getting it passed,” he said on CNN.

Diaz-Balart said that while the GOP has struggled to strike the right tone with its Latino constituents, he thinks this plan shows lawmakers working together.

“That’s been a big part of the problem. Look, I will tell you, both parties have used this issue for years as a political weapon. It’s worked well for the Democrats, it’s obviously been disastrous for Republicans,” he said on CNN.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said on CNN that one potential “sticking point” between Democrats and Republicans could be undocumented immigrants’ path to citizenship, but he also said it was “not anything insurmountable.”

“What could be something that might cause us some problems along the way but not anything insurmountable: What’s the road to citizenship?” Gutierrez said on CNN.

He added: “Look, they’re going to become American citizens one way or another, it’s a question of when it’s going to be. I’d rather do it at the front end because from my perspective – I want the undocumented to integrate themselves, to make a commitment and to have to fulfill all the responsibilities that you and I have to fulfill as American citizens. I think that’s what makes our country strong and fair at the same time.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) also praised the bipartisanship work on the proposal.

“I think that it’s a great start and I think it bodes well for the issue. As you know […] it’s hard to get to this point with any issue in Washington these days, so the fact that you have a bipartisan group sitting down, coming up with a serious proposal, the president speaking about it the next day, I think that’s a good thing,” he said on MSNBC.

He continued: “But I do think the devil will be in the details. And specifically…we’ve got to make sure those measurements, when we’ve determined we’ve secured the border, that those measurements are objective and that they’re not subjective.”